Ghosts of Extinction
by TheAlph
Summary: Cybertron is on the verge of dying and Optimus was sent to find resources in the hopes to revive it. The Autobots and Decepticons stumble upon Earth by accident, both need Energon badly. Can Earth survive the inevitable war that's about to take place? A bit of a remake of sorts. Optimus Prime is a bit younger and not a semi and Ratchet is a brand new medic.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Sun shone brightly into the room causing Seth Harrison to groan and bury his head deeper under the blankets. Why is it even on his days off he couldn't sleep in? After laying there for a few minutes Seth finally reached for his cell phone to check the time. 9:11am, super. Guess he should go ahead and get up.

After using the restroom Seth went into the kitchen to fix himself a bowl of cereal. With no plans for the day he was hoping to get some Medal of Honor time in along with Borderlands. Both games he had bought a few months ago but have yet to really play.

He was about to turn on the Xbox when his cell phone began to chirp. Knowing the message tone, Seth quickly went back into his bedroom to check it out.

"Was wondering if ya can give me a ride to the grocery store?" Said the text message from his friend, Tanner Littleton.

Seth let out a heavy sigh as he went to a pile of clothes on the floor. "Yeah, what time did you wanna go?" He texted back.

"Whenever. Just getting up, still have to shower and all that."

"Right on, I'll do the same. See ya in an hour."

**Somewhere in Space**

"Systems at 65%, emergency stasis canceled."

Optimus Prime's optics slowly flickered open but it took several seconds for his systems to catch up. When they did the first sight he saw was the ceiling in the command center of the Ark. What the slag had happened to him?

"Computer, status report." When Teletran-1 didn't respond Optimus slowly looked around to see several Autobots out of commission. "Anybody else awake?" When he didn't get a response Optimus forced his aching body to sit up. "Jazz, Prowl, Bumblebee…."

"I feel like I've been hit by a transport ship." Came Jazz's groggy voice to his left. "What the slag had happened to us?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out myself, Jazz."

Optimus let out a hiss as a sharp pain raced up from his right knee. When he glanced down he could see a piece of shrapnel embedded in his armor, just above his knee joint. But from where? What he could see before him was still rather intact which was a good sign.

"How long were we out for?" Asked Jazz as he shakily got to his feet. "Cause what I'm seeing out the window sure doesn't look familiar."

"My head…." Bumblebee slowly sat up from where he lay on the floor, both hands wrapped around his helmet. "Optimus, you okay?"

Optimus nodded. "I will live." He gradually leaned forward to give Teletran-1 a good smack with his hand. "Come on, ancient piece of scrap work for us."

Lights inside the command center began to flicker on as the computer slowly came to life. Soon the stars in the windows were replaced with several images of their galaxy but with planets he didn't recognize. And if he read the data right they have been floating aimlessly through space for several hundred years.

Bumblebee got to his feet and though a bit unsteady he managed to make his way to Optimus' side. "What now?"

"We do what we had planned on doing in the first place. Exploration."

**Earth**

When Seth arrived at Tanner's he parked his truck in the driveway then ran up a ramp to the front door. He only had to knock three times before his friend opened the door with his aid dog, Harper by his side.

"Thanks man, really appreciate this." Tanner said with his hands.

Seth nodded as he signed back, "Not a problem. What happened to your sister?"

Tanner gave Seth a shrug. "Who knows with Becca." He motioned for Harper to stay so he could lock the front door. Once done he turned back around to sign, "Really hope to get my car fixed soon."

Seth had a good chuckle at this. "Your piece of junk just needs to be put out of it's misery."

"Yeah, but what can ya do."

Once inside Tanner's truck Seth took out his smart phone to start an app called, Dragon Dictation that will help communicate by translating speech into text. This way both friends can still continue talking while Tanner drove to the grocery store.

Seth pulled into the main thoroughfare and began the thirty minute drive to the nearest grocery store. Where they both lived in Montana there wasn't a lot of options when it came to shopping and the nearest big town was a good two hours away. To avoid that Seth always went to Juniper, a town just large enough to have a full sized grocery store and not a small shop like Trapper had.

"How is the oil rig job?" Asked Tanner through the phone.

"Doing all right, pays well so I can't complain. How is your job doing?"

Tanner shook his head. "I got released yesterday."

"But why? I thought you were doing so well?"

"Didn't get along too well with the foreman." Tanner shrugged. "There is plenty more temp jobs out there, just gotta keep looking."

**Mars**

A surge of power awoke Megatron from a deep stasis causing him to howl out in pain. His optics flared on as a fine, red dust escaped from his mouth. As the discomfort subsided he was able to focus on the blown out window before him. How long was he out for? Why hadn't his internal processors end the emergency stasis protocol until now?

"Starscream!" When his lieutenant didn't respond Megatron pulled himself into a standing position. "Soundwave, Skywarp…."

His optics fell upon a crumbled form by his feet and upon closer inspection noticed it was a deactivated drone. He then found, hidden under the debris of what was once the main console his communication officer. Thankfully it appeared that Soundwave had also fallen into an emergency stasis which meant that the rest of his team might still be alive.

He slowly made his way to what remained of the computer console in the hopes that some of the AI was still intact. After punching in a sequence he heard a low rumble as the on-board generator came to life.

"Nemesis, status report." When the computer didn't respond Megatron slammed a fist onto the console causing a side panel to fall off. "Piece of scrap!" He gave it a swift kick before slumping back down into his command chair. "Seems I have to do everything myself!"

**Autobot Shuttle**

Though some of the team had injuries, some severe Optimus did not lose any of his men, a small victory in a time when they were few and far between. He slowly made his way down the corridor, towards the infirmary to see how Ratchet had fared and to also get his knee checked out.

"Optimus, here are the latest scans, as requested." Jazz said as he handed Optimus a thin data-pad. "It appears there is no Energon to be found inside this solar system. However, there is a planet that has resources that we could convert into usable fuel for us."

"Is it inhabited?"

A sour look crossed Jazz's face before giving Optimus a nod. "Billions of life forms." He brought up an image of a small and fragile bipedal creature. "Prowl is trying to get information on the species now."

"How far out is this planet?"

Jazz gave Optimus a shrug as he moved aside to allow Ironhide and Hound to pass. "Three, maybe four days max. That is if our fuel reserves hold up."

Optimus went to another screen on the data-pad to check the Ark's readouts and was glad to have the face-guard to hide his frown. According to this, they had three days of fuel, that is if they conserve all their resources and shut down any systems not needed in the function of flight.

"Very well. Shut down all power to the light grid and anything else not vital at this moment." He handed the pad back to Jazz and began to once again limp his way to the infirmary. "The only bay I want functional at this moment is Ratchet's."

**Nemesis - A Few Days Later**

It had taken Megatron a day just to siphon enough energon from fallen drones to revive Soundwave and another to get the computer system running. Once the latter was operational he managed to get his key team awake and alert. Now to figure out where they had crashed so he can come up with a plan of action.

Soundwave brought up an image of a glowing, blue planet with swirls of white against it's atmosphere.

"Lord Megatron, this planet appears to have fuel resources we can convert into viable Energon." The communication officer turned to face Megatron, his mouth hidden behind a metal plate and optics, a red visor. "If we leave now, we can make planet fall within twenty hours."

"Excellent. Get the team ready. We will leave in three hours."

**Montana: Twenty-Seven Hours Later**

With his work shift only two hours away Seth made his way into the kitchen to make a few sandwiches for dinner. And after throwing in a few apples inside the mini, red cooler he went to the refrigerator to snag some cola. He just put his hand on a can when his phone began to ring.

He let out a heavy sigh of frustration before slipping the phone out from his back pant's pocket.

"Yeah, Seth."

"It's Jerry, you busy tomorrow?"

Seth shook his head. "It's my day off…."

"I would greatly appreciate it if you came in to help out."

"For how long?"

"Just a four hour shift."

Seth threw two cans into his cooler not really caring if they squished his sandwiches then slapped the lid closed.

"Yeah, sure."

When Seth hung up with his foreman he let out a few choice words before grabbing his truck keys from the counter. The drive to the rig will take him a good hour, might as well get an earlier start in the hopes it'll help clear his head.

**XXXX**

The planet Optimus found himself on was like no other he has seen before and he found the experience exhilarating. The atmosphere was so blue, the air so clean and crisp that his war ravaged systems welcomed the new sensation and almost made him relax. But if he had found this planet then he knew Megatron would to. So he put aside the foolish idea of luxury to continue his trek down a black, smooth road that led to their first fuel discovery.

"Jazz, how are things at the site?"

"Pretty much the same as before, nothing new to report." Replied his lieutenant. "Bumblebee did grab a sample, don't ask me how since the humans are crawling all over the place and Perceptor is checking it out now."

Optimus applied his breaks as he got behind a slow moving vehicle, his large truck alt-mode towering over it. Though he appeared to be a Ford Raptor with a Fire and Rescue motif, the tech under the hood was all Cybertronian which he used to gather speed to get around the annoying obstacle.

"How many humans are there at the site?"

"Ten on a regular basis. They tend to change shifts exactly at eight or ten hours depending on the time of day." Jazz let out a sigh of boredom as he fidgeted over the comm-link. "How long are you wanting us to scout this location out?"

"Until we hear back from Perceptor."

Jazz mumbled in frustration before responding. "How far out are you?"

Optimus sped past another slow moving vehicle, his engine roaring so loudly he knew it was probably annoying the human drivers.

"About an hour. Just keep hidden and report if anything suspicious happens."

**XXXX**

When Seth arrived at work he was in a sour mood and hoped the rest of the night will fare better for him. As he entered the onsite trailer to change into work clothes he saw Benji Henderson over by his locker.

"What is it, Benji?"

"Was wondering if you can cover my shift tomorrow."

Seth shook his head. "I've already been called in. Besides, we have yet to hit our monthly quota so I highly doubt Jerry will let you take off." He pulled off his clean shirt, threw it into his locker and grabbed another from his gym bag. "Well, gotta go. See ya on the rig."

He quickly put the rest of his items into the locker, made sure it was secured then went outside. It was a cool day but thankfully once he began work Seth will heat up real quick.

"Seth! You're here a bit early."

Seth turned to meet his one friend on the rig, Jerome Smith a black kid from south Chicago that somehow found himself in nowhere Montana.

"Jerome!" Seth shook Jerome's hand then pulled him in to give the man a pat on the shoulder. "Did ya get called in tomorrow?"

Jerome laughed. "Of course. I take it you did too?"

"Yeah, and Benji wants the day off."

They both had a good laugh at this as they made their way to the rig.

"Hey, you will never believe what I saw on the road today."

Seth turned to see a huge grin on Jerome's face. "You saw the Raptor too, huh?"

"Thing is a beast! Who knew Ford could make something like that!"

"Well, it passed my little Mazda like it was standing still." Seth shook his head as he remembered something about the truck. "Come to think about it…." He shook his head at the ridiculousness of his thought. "Never mind."

Jerome put a hand on Seth's arm to stop him from walking. "What?"

Seth shook his head. "Maybe it's because the truck sits up higher than mine but I couldn't make out a driver."

"Been playing way too many video games." Jerome waved at Jerry who had pulled up in his vehicle with his son, Mike in the passenger seat. "Just remember, the pay is good and the work, well it keeps ya on your toes."

**XXXX**

Being deaf had its disadvantages, one of the them being that people thought Tanner was dumb because he couldn't talk. In fact he was highly intelligent, possibly the best computer tech in Montana but trying to get that across to potential employers was a hassle. Many thought since he couldn't hear then he would have problems trying to figure out what the customer wanted done with their system. He tried to freelance, but in a town with barely fifteen hundred souls, that proved pointless.

Currently he sat at the only temp agency in a hundred mile radius in the hopes that a job will be available for him. Since his release from the auto supply warehouse a few days ago he has been making regular visits to the employment office but has yet to get lucky.

A hand gently tapped him on the shoulder and Tanner looked up to see Betty, one of two people that worked at the small office.

Betty gave him a smile then shook her head. "Sorry, I've got nothing for you."

Tanner nodded and typed on his tablet, "It's okay, maybe tomorrow."

He left the office feeling rather defeated knowing in such a small town finding a job could be near to impossible. Wonder if he should consider moving to a larger city like Helen or maybe even out of state? If he did the latter than there could be a better chance of him landing a tech position.

With his mind preoccupied Tanner didn't see the car until it was nearly on him and had no time to react. He tightly closed his eyes, waiting for an impact but all he felt was a slight breeze. When he braved a peek he saw that the looming red, Bronco II had stopped just inches away from him.

Tanner slowly stepped to the side to thank the driver but what he saw made him shy back. There was not a soul in the driver's seat, the vehicle was completely empty.

He quickly put his hand on the hood to make sure the vehicle was still running and once that was confirmed, he ran. Tanner had no idea what was going on, all he knew there was a Bronco out there driving itself.

**Several Miles Away**

The scenery around Jazz was beautiful, a definite change from the metal planet he had called home. Here, organic life was abundant making different textures so foreign to Jazz's systems he had no word for them. He'll have to look some up on the human's world wide web when he got back to the transport shuttle.

While Jazz kept an eye on the site he began to go through what the human's called radio stations. So far the sounds he heard on the many frequencies were not his style and he was about to give up searching when something finally caught his attention. Something about a 'cray button', the song had a good beat that Jazz could bob his head to.

"Slag it, I just about ran over a human!" Ironhide's voice came through the comm-link causing Jazz to scowl in frustration. "It didn't even hear me blaring my horn! What is wrong with these creatures!"

"Easy, Ironhide. Just keep on the surveillance and let me know what you find." Optimus Prime knelt down beside Jazz, his red and black armor muted in the fading light. "It's getting dark, we should head back to the shuttle soon."

Jazz gave his commander a nod as he stood to stretch his limbs. "Have you heard anything from Perceptor?"

Optimus nodded. "He's close, but it would take another day to fully know if this, oil will convert into Energon." His optics narrowed and his face-guard slightly shifted upward, a sign Jazz knew to mean he was not happy. "I fear we are not alone."

**One Hour Later**

The rig was loud and chaotic as the drill bore into the ground hoping to find a pocket of oil. Seth's job was to make sure the line didn't get clogged and to apply a clamp if things got out of hand. Most the time his job consisted of standing on the sidelines, but today, thanks to a pocket of water he was busy trying to control a geyser of liquid shooting up from the earth.

"Jerome, we need to move the clamp into place!"

Seth reached for the large, clunky device and began to swing it into position. As he was doing this; mud, water and oil rained down from above, soaking him from head to toe.

"Let me help you, Harrison!" Shouted Jerry as he moved in to help Seth and Jerome with the clamp. "Winston, get your ass over here and help out!"

Benji let out a few grumbles as he made his way to Seth's side. "Lets hurry this up!" He was about to take hold of the swing arm when a loud rumble stopped everybody in the their tracks. "What was that?"

A jet flew over the rig, so low Seth could make out a strange, purple insignia on it's side. He watched as it spiraled upwards before doing a flip and transforming into a giant robot.

"What the hell is that thing?" Asked Jerome as he began to move towards the stairs.

Seth shook his head. "I'm not sure but…."

The robot said something in a strange language before raising his right arm. Seth saw the weapons attached to the limb and knew he had only seconds to get off the rig. As the robot fired his weapon, Seth jumped away from the platform hoping the fall wouldn't kill him.

Seth was close to hitting the ground when an explosion sent a shock wave his direction. A wave of heat hit him blunt in the back and as he tumbled to the ground he caught glimpses of three, giant robots as they attacked the rig.

**XXXX**

The scene before Optimus was one he had witnessed all too many times back on Cybertron. Thanks to his alt-mode he was able to make quick work of the rough terrain and use the momentum to transform, his small body crashing into the much larger Megatron with a deafening clang.

"Optimus! Why am I not surprised to see you here!" Megatron pushed Optimus away with one hand, a smirk of satisfaction on his face. "I guess it is destiny we are to meet after such a long time apart."

"These life forms are innocent! There is no need to kill them!"

Megatron reached down, picked up a human who was barely alive then held it so Optimus could see the frail body in his palm.

"Why would you care about something so weak, so fragile?"

Optimus reached behind him, took the ax out from it's compartment within his back then slowly inched forward.

"But I can see the similarities between you and these…fleshlings. Like them, Optimus you are also small, fragile and weak."

"Please, don't kill me! Please!" Shouted Megatron's human captive.

A snarl spread across Megatron's face. "See, they fear us, Optimus!"

"Enough, let the human go and I will allow you to have the oil."

"And what if I refuse?"

Optimus gave Megatron a smirk of his own, shame it was hidden behind the face-guard. "Jazz, you have a clear shot?"

"Sure do." Jazz reported through the inner comm-link.

"Fire at will."

A loud thud could be heard as Jazz fired off his sniper rifle, hitting his mark square in the right knee. The Decepticon lieutenant, Starscream quickly dropped to the ground screaming out profanities as he clutched his damaged leg.

Starscream slowly got back up, favoring his leg as he did so. "We should kill them all, Lord Megatron."

Soundwave approached, his body telling Megatron he did not have any good news to report. "According to Skywarp, if we were to continue with a battle, we might not have enough resources to even refine the oil."

Megatron glanced back at Starscream then brought his attention once again to Optimus. "Very well." He looked down at the human in his palm then dropped it to the ground. "Have your filth, Optimus and leave quickly before I change my mind."

Bumblebee, who had been right behind Optimus quickly ran up to the injured human to check on it's condition.

"He's awake, but I think he might be in shock." Bumblebee shook his head as he looked up at Optimus. "We need Ratchet."

"Did somebody say my name?" The young medic appeared at Optimus' right side with a smile on his face. "If we leave now, we can get the human to a structure called a, hospital; a repair bay for Earthlings."

Optimus nodded. "Bumblebee, once Ratchet transforms into alt-mode gently put the human inside then follow him. Make sure nothing happens." He put a finger on his right audio receptor until he heard an audible click. "Jazz, you follow close behind. Once you are inside city limits, let me know."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

A sharp pain snapped Seth awake with a gasp and as his mind became clearer so did everything else. The oil rig was attacked by giant robots, but if he remembered correctly he saw others that seemed to be helping.

"I see you are awake." Said a male voice. "My name is Ratchet and I'm taking you to a hospital."

"Who are you?" Seth's voice croaked as he spoke in a whisper. "What were those things back there?"

"Decepticons. How is your pain level?"

Seth shook his head as his discomfort increased. "Getting worse…." He winced as the vehicle hit a bump, jarring his torn body. "Thank you…."

"No problem, just hang in there. We still have thirty miles to go."

**XXXX**

Once the Autobots were gone, Megatron's men began to make quick work on preparing the oil for shipment. Thanks to their ship being nonfunctional, his small team had to make do with a small emergency shuttle. Even though most were able to fly, including himself they had to get Energon back to Nemesis.

As he took a good look at the primitive site Megatron scowled in disgust. Ever since he had stepped foot onto this planet he wanted to leave. But thanks to his predicament he had no other choice but to search for reliable sources of energy.

Starscream slowly made his way to Megatron, one leg dragging thanks to the knee gear being shot out. Shame Jazz didn't go for the spark chamber or the head, it would have made Megatron's job much easier. But with Starscream vying for leadership of the Decepticon's it always kept the commander on alert.

"Not as pure as what is found on Cybertron but I believe it will do." He handed Megatron a glowing, blue cube of Energon then took a step back. "Unfortunately just to get this much we had to use quite a bit of this oil."

Megatron took a good swig of the Energon, savoring the unique taste the oil gave it. Though a bit sour it was fuel and he could already feel his body perk up. He drank the rest of the energon with a rare smile on his face.

"Excellent, lets move this quickly before the fleshlings get wind as to what happened here."

**Several Miles Away**

Once Ratchet arrived at the hospital the human's condition had gotten worse. Unfortunately there was the problem of alerting staff that he needed help. So he did the best thing he could do; he began to blare his horn and sirens. Eventually several humans ran out of the building to see what the commotion was about.

One human, a male went to Ratchet's left side, peered into the window and took a step back at not seeing a driver. He was about to leave so Ratchet popped open the tailgate in the hopes the others will see the injured human.

"Doctor Sanchez, there's a man inside and he's seriously hurt!" A female human shouted. "We need a stretcher, STAT!"

Doctor Sanchez shook his head as he went to the back of Ratchet's vehicle mode. Here he helped others lift the injured man onto the stretcher before closing the tailgate. He then made his way back to the driver's side, a look of confusion on his face.

"I'm not really sure what is going on here, but thank you." And with that he turned around and ran back into the hospital.

"Real smooth, Ratchet. Real smooth."

"What else could I have done, Jazz? They were about to leave." Ratchet made his way back onto the road and as he did Jazz's headlights came on behind him. "Sooner than later the humans will know of our presence here. Besides, the doctor won't say anything."

"And what makes you think that?"

Ratchet took a deep breath as he sped up. "Because I wouldn't."

**A Few Days Later**

When Tanner walked into the hospital he was instantly greeted by Jenni Cooper, Seth's older sister. Jenni gave him a big hug then led Tanner into the small waiting room where Seth's dad sat drinking a cup of coffee.

"Hey Tanner, how you doing today?" He said so Tanner could read his lips.

"Doing good, Mr. Harrison." Tanner signed. "Has Seth woken up yet?"

Mr. Harrison shook his head. "Has been in and out, but hasn't really been coherent." His hands, as he moved them showed Tanner his worry. "Can't believe he was the only survivor."

Tanner sat down next to the older man with a heavy sigh. "They say it was an explosion, a pocket of gas." His hands slowed as he began to think about how close he came to loosing his close friend. "Just glad he is with us."

Jenni patted Tanner's shoulder as she motioned for the hallway. "He's kind of waking up. Will be nice for you to be there when he does."

Slowly Tanner made his way down the hallway until he came to Seth's room in the small ICU. Once inside, his eyes drifted over to the bed to see Seth still hooked up to machines with a new bandage over the cut on his brow. Doctors say that if it wasn't for the ambulance getting him when they did, Seth would have most likely died due to internal bleeding in his abdomen.

He sat down on Seth's left side and took hold of his friend's cold hand. Seth's right hand up to elbow was encased in a thick, black cast and his chest was wrapped with ace bandages to help with the broken ribs. But what many noticed was the lack of burns showing that Seth had possibly been blown off the rig before the flames hit him.

Right now, more than ever Tanner wished he could talk so he could let his friend know he was here by his side. Fortunately Jenni had come into the room and was currently running a hand through her brother's hair as she spoke to him about family and friends.

Seth slowly opened his eyes then squeezed Tanner's hand. The latter quickly stood up so his friend could see who was at his side.

Jenni gave Seth a huge smile as she kissed him on the forehead. "You keep fighting buddy. Dad flew in and Tanner is here if you need anything."

Tanner slowly signed, "Don't you worry, we will help out any way we can."

**Autobot Shuttle**

For the last few days Optimus was having problems moving his right shoulder and knew he'll eventually have to tell Ratchet. That is if the keen-eyed medic didn't spot the problem first. For right now Optimus was able to disguise his discomfort but if the pain kept increasing that'll be harder to do.

Currently he sat in the habitational suite he shared with Jazz so he could go over the world wide web to see if there was any information about the oil rig. When he did, he saw that the humans still believed an explosion had occurred leaving only one survivor. So the human had lived, will Megatron send somebody to keep a surveillance on him?

Slowly Optimus pushed himself up from the recharge slab, using his bad arm. The limb buckled from underneath him and if it wasn't for Jazz he might have fallen forward. Thankfully the lieutenant caught Optimus by the arms, steadying him.

"Optimus, you ok? Do I need to get Ratchet?"

Optimus gave Jazz a quick nod as he headed to the door. "Yeah I'm fine. I just hurt my shoulder the other day."

Jazz chuckled. "Well, I bet hitting Megatron like you did was like slamming into a building."

"Definitely felt like it." Optimus rotated his shoulder, frustrated at how stiff it was becoming. "Guess I should see Ratchet. If you need me, that's where I'll be."

By the time Optimus reached Ratchet's small clinic word had spread about his injury. He barely had a foot in the room when Ratchet took hold of his arm and led him to the exam chair.

"You should have told me sooner." Ratchet did not disguise his frustration as he lifted a portable body scanner from a small table. "Is the face guard giving you any more problems?"

Optimus shook his head. "Ever since you cut the slits into it, my breathing has gotten better."

"Good…hmm…." Ratchet slid his mouth shield and optic visor into place before he picked up a laser scalpel. "It appears you might have some foreign bodies in your fuel lines."

"And what is with the precautions…." Optimus' voice faded as his mind went to that horrible day near the Sea of Rust. "You don't think…."

Ratchet shook his head as he began to cut between the armor plating on Optimus' right arm. Once he got a working vein he quickly grabbed a vial to put the Energon into. Thanks to the laser cauterizing as it cut Optimus didn't have to worry about loosing any more fuel.

The medic's optics got wide behind the visor as he stared at the vial of glowing, blue Energon. Inside, floating in the liquid Optimus could see tiny creatures; Scraplet larvae. Just seeing the parasite brought his mind back to when his life almost ended.

**Few Months Before Ark Launch**

When Optimus Prime received the report on the crashed transport shuttle he knew his team would be the ones sent to check it out. And since the scene was located near the Sea of Rust, Optimus decided to only take a handful of men. So if anything was too happen they can make a quick escape.

He slowly crept behind a pile of rubble with Jazz, Bumblebee and medical officer, Beaker right behind him. There didn't appear to be any Decepticons but just in case he had his team at the ready.

"Jazz, once we reach the shuttle I want you and Bumblebee to look for Energon rods. Beaker, you come with me. There might be survivors who need our help."

Once they reached the wreckage the team split hoping to get things done quickly. As Optimus stepped into the passenger area something felt off and as he swept his light around he saw no bodies.

Beaker shook his head. "Where did everybody go?"

"Not sure…." Movement to Optimus' left made him snap around, his rifle at the ready. His optics spotted a pair of boots twitching from behind an overturned seat. "Beaker, have a live one over here!"

"On my way!" Beaker pushed past Optimus so he could help the injured bot. "Don't worry…." His voice faded as he took a step back. "By Primus' spark…."

Optimus inched his way around the medic to see that the body appeared to have been half eaten. What on this planet could have done something like that?

Beaker knelt down with his body scanner out, his face showing confusion. "I have never…." A small, large headed creature emerged from the bot's mouth and brought his attention to Beaker. "What is that…."

The creature shot straight to Beaker, latching it's mouth onto his arm. Beaker let out a scream as more erupted from the corpse in a swarm.

"Beaker!" But as Optimus went to help, the creatures went after him. "Jazz, Bumblebee get out now!"

Optimus could feel sharp teeth dig deep into his neck and face as the creatures began to feast. A scream escaped his mouth as he fell backwards into a chair and was close to stasis when he heard a low rumble.

"Bee, grab Optimus while I have them distracted!"

"No…they will attack…." But Optimus' voice only came out garbled.

Bumblebee appeared in Optimus' vision, his small frame barely able to get the latter out of the chair. Apparently Jazz had deployed his sonic weapon, scrambling the creatures minds long enough to get Optimus to safety.

"Optimus, hang in there!" Bumblebee pulled off several creatures as Jazz ran to help out. "Jazz, we need to hurry!"

Optimus shook his head, his systems near to crashing. "Beaker…."

"By Primus…Lets get him to Ratchet!"

Once back at the Autobot headquarters Jazz enlisted the help of Ironhide and Trailbreaker to get Optimus into the repair bay. Whatever those creatures were they had eaten most of the commander's lower face leaving a gaping hole. Let's just hope the rookie medic will step up and not freak out over the gruesome injury.

"Ratchet, we need you to help Optimus!" Commanded Jazz.

"What about Beaker?" Asked Ratchet, confusion evident on his face.

Jazz shook his head. "You're active Chief Medical Officer now."

"Wait, what! I can't, I just graduated…."

"Then that means everything should still be fresh for you." Jazz pointed at Optimus who was having problems getting air in through his mouth. "Optimus wouldn't have recruited you unless he saw potential."

"Right…." Ratchet slid his mouth guard and optic visor into place as he went to Optimus' side. "Okay. I need a laser scalpel…." He quickly shook his head as he went to a small vacuum. "No wait, need to clear out his airway first."

Perceptor approached Ratchet's side and put a hand on the latter's shoulders. "Breathe, Ratchet. Let's get the wound cleaned up then figure out a way so Optimus could live a relatively normal life."

**Present Day**

Optimus gently put a hand on the mouth guard wishing things could have been different. But after what he saw the Scraplets do to Beaker he should be thankful to even be alive. And yet, he now had to deal with another problem one that could effect the whole team here and back on the Ark.

"What's going to happen now?" Optimus asked the young medic.

Ratchet shook his head. "Put you in quarantine until Perceptor or I find a solution." The door opened to allow the scientist in so he could check the vial out for himself. "What do you think, Perceptor?"

"Fascinating." Perceptor went over to a table to put the vial under a microscope. "Definitely larvae…Thankfully they appear to only be isolated to Optimus' fuel." He turned to face the two Autobots in the room, a look of concern on his face. "Has anybody been in contact with Optimus' fuel after the attack?"

"Bumblebee, Jazz, Ironhide, Trailbreaker and me." Ratchet quickly sent a call out to the three bots currently on Earth then brought his attention back to Optimus. "I will have to check all of them for any eggs or larvae. In the meantime I would like to start prepping you Optimus for your quarantine."

Optimus frowned at this news knowing it was the only option there was. "And what about the Ark? You had to remove that piece of shrapnel…."

Ratchet gave Optimus a quick nod as he went to a computer console. "I will let First Aid know what is happening and have him test all bots on the Ark. Hopefully we can catch this before it turns into a full out plague."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

When Jazz got the call to head towards the repair bay it peaked his curiosity. But once inside his optics went straight to where Optimus sat, his right arm off while Ratchet did something with the shoulder joint. He was about to ask what was going on when Perceptor approached him, a look of concern on his face.

"I need to check your fuel lines." The scientist motioned to a crate that Jazz could sit on. "Apparently the Scraplets left larvae inside Optimus."

Just hearing the news made Jazz's Energon turn cold as his mind went back to that day. He slowly brought his attention to Optimus, his optics instantly spotting the trail of scars peaking out from the face plate. He had thought what happened to the commander back then was bad enough, but now this?

"Will Optimus have to be quarantined?"

Perceptor slowly nodded as he cut into Jazz's arm between the plating of his elbow joint. "Until we really know how to get rid of them, I see no other option." He got a vial of Energon then checked it under a microscope. "It appears you're clear."

Jazz shook his head. "What is Ratchet doing right now?"

"It appears the larvae are too big to work their way through Optimus' gears." Perceptor turned to the door as Ironhide and Bumblebee came in. "If Ratchet or I can't figure something out, I'm not really sure what will happen to Optimus."

"And coming from you Perceptor, that scares me."

The scientist put the vial of Energon into a storage unit before helping Jazz up. "I'll let you know if or when we have something."

**Decepticon Shuttle**

The small transport shuttle was barely big enough for Megatron's team and he knew eventually tensions will rise because of it. Currently he sat in the command room looking over data accumulated by Starscream. According to him they will need to find a better source of fuel than what they had found. But what that could be on a planet full of possibilities was definitely a challenge.

"Starscream!" Megatron got up from his chair to hunt down his lieutenant. "I need you to get an Earth alt-mode, that way you can check these locations!"

Starscream came limping out of the repair bay, his right leg dragging behind him. "And how do you expect me to do that, Lord Megatron?"

Megatron took hold of Starscream's chest plate and pulled the bot off his feet. "Where is Scalpel!"

The much smaller Decepticon appeared behind Starscream, a smirk on his face. "Right here, Lord Megatron."

Starscream shook his head. "I'm perfectly fine, honest!"

"Scalpel, fix Starscream and let me know when you are done!" He threw his lieutenant at Scalpel then spun around to face Soundwave. "Update on that human who survived!"

Soundwave approached Megatron with a data pad and gave the latter a quick nod. "Still unconscious, a human form of stasis. Frenzy and Rumble are currently in route to keep surveillance and will notify me immediately if anything changes."

**XXXX**

Something didn't seem right to Jenni but she couldn't quite place a finger on it. Being an officer for Homeland Security her mind instantly went to terrorists especially since vehicles were seen leaving the rig after the explosion. Then there was the ambulance that took her brother to the hospital. What were the odds that a rescue vehicle was close enough to the rig in order to help out?

Currently she was waiting for Doctor Sanchez who was there when Seth was brought in by the unknown vehicle. According to reports her brother was mumbling incoherently, a sign of head trauma. But what if it wasn't? What if something happened to Seth on that rig that traumatized him?

"Agent Cooper, I presume." A man with salt and peppered hair approached Jenni with a smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Jenni stood to shake the doctor's hand. "That's all right. Is there a place that we can talk in private?"

Doctor Sanchez nodded. "Yeah, my office is just down the hallway."

Once inside the doctor's office Jenni closed the door hoping she will get the answers she was looking for. Doctor Sanchez moved to his desk, sat down and motioned for Jenni to do the same.

Jenni gave Doctor Sanchez a gentle smile before taking out a small notebook. "Can you tell me about the ambulance that brought Mr. Harrison in?"

"It was an off-road type of vehicle, one I haven't seen in this area." Doctor Sanchez took a deep breath as he started to play with a pen, his demeanor telling Jenni something was wrong. "What I saw, I thought…." He shook his head. "The ambulance didn't have a driver. And then, Mr. Harrison kept murmuring about robots and explosions…."

"No driver?" Jenni wrote this down then brought her attention back to the doctor. "But how could it have driven itself to the hospital?"

Doctor Sanchez shrugged. "I'm not sure but whatever it is, it cared enough to bring the victim to a hospital. Right there, leads me to believe it's intelligent." He put the pen down to lace his hands on top the desk. "Your brother would have died if it wasn't for that ambulance. If you find it, express your thanks."

**XXXX**

The first thing that greeted Seth as he began to wake was an immense pain in his chest that made it hard for him to breath. He let out a low groan wishing he could go back to sleep but it seemed his mind had enough of that. Ever so slowly he opened his eyes to see blurry ceiling tiles above him.

"Son, it's dad." A familiar face moved into Seth's vision wearing a warm smile. "Do you know who I am?"

Seth slowly nodded. "What are ya doing here?"

"I'm your dad, silly." Seth's dad, Brad nodded as he sat down by the bed. "You've been out for a few days…I was starting to worry…." His dad's voice began to quiver as he spoke. "Didn't want to loose you…."

Seth reached out to take hold of his dad's hand but then realized his right arm was in a thick, heavy cast. So instead he gave the rough, callused hand a gentle pat hoping it will comfort his dad.

"I'll be okay, I promise." Seth winced as the pain in his chest intensified making it harder for him breath. "What happened?"

"An explosion on the rig…They say the reason you lived is because you some how got knocked off before getting the fireball." Seth's dad shook his head as tears began to fall from his eyes. "If it wasn't for that ambulance driver being close by…."

When his dad said 'ambulance' everything came back to Seth so rapidly he would have bolted if it wasn't for the pain holding him down. Giant, metallic beings had attacked the rig and then there appeared to be some that were actually trying to protect it. It was one of the latter that took Seth to the hospital, saving his life.

"He just called himself, Ratchet." Seth's mind went to Ratchet wondering if he too was one of those creatures at the oil rig and if so, does that mean he could change shape? "That's all I got…nothing more."

"Little brother, so glad to see you among the living." Jenni moved into Seth's vision, a huge smile on her face. "How you feeling?"

"Like shit." Seth's mind began to get hazy, a sign the pain medication was kicking in. "Good to see ya again, Jen."

Jenni gently kissed Seth's forehead then nodded. "Before you know it, you'll be right back on your feet."

**One Week Later**

When the war broke out on Cybertron, Ratchet decided to become a medic but found it difficult to study. He was young, always partying or doing something else besides school work. And if it wasn't for Beaker to help push Ratchet into the right direction, the latter might not have graduated.

Currently, Ratchet sat in the small repair bay looking over the data he was getting from Optimus' body and wishing he could decipher it. If Beaker was still alive he would have already thought of a way to kill the larvae, but he wasn't. And now Ratchet had to figure things out on his own.

Ratchet let out a growl of frustration as he brought up another screen, this one with a full diagram of the larvae inside Optimus' fuel. How was he suppose to stop their growth without killing the commander?

"How are things coming along?"

Ratchet turned to Jazz and shook his head. "Not good. I have no idea what I'm doing."

Jazz gave Ratchet a smile and a pat on the shoulder. "You'll come up with something, I'm sure of it."

"Just wish Beaker was still here." Ratchet nearly threw the computer across the room after the simulation he ran proved useless in killing the larvae. "I have no idea what I'm doing wrong!" He looked over at Optimus who was currently in a stasis containment pod, his shoulders dropping in defeat. "Maybe, I'm looking at this all wrong."

Perceptor came into the repair bay carrying small devices in his hands. "I have finally figured a way to convert Earth's fuel into working Energon for us." He lifted the items up with a smile. "Now, we have to be in alt-mode but these will go into the fuel port so we can use the gas stations that are so prevalent here. Anybody willing to test one out?"

Jazz gave the scientist a smirk. "As I recall, the last time Bumblebee tried one of your inventions he couldn't speak for a week."

"I make one mistake, Jazz one mistake and you can't let me forget?"

"Nope, cause you rarely pull a Wheeljack."

Perceptor let out a heavy sigh as his optics fell onto the computer screen next to Optimus. "Have you figured anything out, Ratchet?"

"No, I haven't. All the tests I ran either corrupt Optimus' fuel lines or spread the growth of the Scraplets." He showed Perceptor the current data hoping the scientist could see the problem. "What am I doing wrong?"

Perceptor went through the simulation a few times before bringing his attention to Ratchet. "You have a good idea, in fact it's brilliant. If you just tweak the formula a bit I believe we can use this as a daily injection to help slow down the growth of the larvae." He began typing until he brought up another simulation. "And, how you have it worked out…." The scientist turned to Ratchet and pointed to the screen. "Oxygen is something we didn't have on Cybertron. With the formula you created, the Scraplets will soon die after leaving Optimus' body."

Ratchet rubbed the nape of his neck feeling rather foolish. "I…I didn't see that."

The scientist gave the young medic a hearty pat on the shoulder. "You have to have faith in your abilities, Ratchet. You're incredibly smart but you limit yourself by second guessing."

Ratchet took a deep breath as he went to the computer to see what all Perceptor did to the formula. The scientist only changed up a few things, minor changes that Ratchet couldn't see. And when he ran the simulation he knew right away that he had to get working on the injection.

"Well, if ya need me I'll be hunting down a volunteer to see if they can try out one of these fuel converters for me."

**XXXX**

Though the pain was still there it was bearable as long as Seth took his medication. He gingerly made his way to the bed so he could shove some clothes into a duffel bag, his mind going back to that day on the rig. How is he suppose to live a normal life after what happened? Especially knowing he was the only survivor out of not one but three rig explosions.

"Dad's getting the car." Jenni said as she came into the room. "Unfortunately the media has gotten wind of your release…it's a mad house outside."

Seth shook his head. "Thanks for the heads up."

"No problem." Jenni took a deep breath as she helped Seth pack. "I need to ask you something…When you came in…."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Seth, I talked to Doctor Sanchez, he told me about the ambulance."

Seth slowly lowered the shirt he was holding and turned to face his sister. "_It_ had a name, Ratchet. A lot of things that happened on the rig is a blur, but him I remember. He saved my life, Jen."

Jenni sat down in a chair with a heavy sigh. "I've already asked around, nobody has ever seen that ambulance."

"Don't you find that odd?"

His sister nodded. "You have no idea. I even looked up the plate numbers that Doctor Sanchez gave me and nothing."

Seth zipped up his bag then waved his good hand at Jenni. "Let me see your phone."

"What are you going to do?"

"Facebook, Twitter…Whatever I can to find an ambulance named Ratchet."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

When Tanner arrived at Seth's house he had only one thing on his mind. Tanner ignored Jenni and Mr. Harrison's greetings and went straight to his friend's bedroom. He quickly closed the door then turned his attention to Spencer who was laying in bed propped up by pillows.

"We need to talk."

Seth appeared confused but gave Tanner a nod anyway. "Sure, what's up?"

"I saw your messages, about the ambulance." Tanner pulled a piece of paper from his back pocket to show Seth a drawing he had made. "That almost ran me over the day of the explosion."

"So, it's a Bronco II. There are plenty of those out there."

Tanner shook his head. "This may sound crazy, but this one had no driver." Seth's eyes widened in surprise as he took another look at the drawing. "The ambulance…." His hands slowed to a stop as realization hit him.

"What I didn't say in the message is that the ambulance had a name, Ratchet." A smile spread across Seth's face. "I'm not crazy, they're really out there."

A presence behind Tanner made him spin around to see Jenni standing right behind him. The woman looked at both men before closing the door.

"So, you had experience too?"

Tanner gave Jenni a nod then pointed at the drawing in Seth's hands. "What is going on, Jenni?"

Jenni took the paper from her brother, gave it a good look then sat down. "Wish I knew guys. Any more vehicles that may have seemed suspicious?"

"The Ford Raptor!" Though Tanner couldn't hear Seth's voice he could tell by his expression something clicked. "There was a rescue Raptor, with light bar and grill guard that passed me that day when I was heading to work. I could have sworn there was no driver." He quickly flipped the blankets off and attempted to stand. "I need to get back to the site."

"No, what you need to do is rest." Jenni got up and brought her attention to Tanner. "Tanner, you and I will check it out. Seth, if we find anything, I'll give you a call."

**Autobot Base**

Bumblebee's feet thudded against the metallic floor as he ran through the small shuttle in a desperate attempt to find Jazz. But after another brief lap he threw hands up in frustration.

"Seriously, how can a bot hide in a place like this!"

"'Bee, ya all right?"

Bumblebee spun around to see Ironhide towering above him. "Ironhide, have you seen Jazz?" The older bot shook his head. "Really? Slag!"

"What's up? Anything I can help ya with?"

"That human we rescued, apparently he's starting to ask about Ratchet, Optimus and you." Bumblebee handed Ironhide a data pad and shook his head. "Well, not by name but he's asking if anybody has seen vehicles matching your alt-modes."

Ironhide grumbled. "Not good." He put a finger against his right audio receptor and let out a heavy sigh. "Jazz, where are you?"

"Right here." Jazz appeared in the hallway with a smirk on his face. "And 'Bee, you forgot the repair bay." He went up to Ironhide, took the pad then let out a low whistle. "More than likely Megatron already has wind of this. Need to step up our surveillance." He gently touched the side of his head. "Prowl, I need your team at our location ASAP. Things are about to get hot."

**One Hour Later**

The oil rig stood alone against the darkening sky, it's metallic structure charred from the fire that had killed five men. Seeing it for the first time made Tanner realize how lucky his friend truly was to be alive.

A gentle pat on his left shoulder brought his attention to Jenni sitting in the driver seat.

"Don't go too far. If you see anything out of the ordinary, whistle."

Tanner gave Jenni a nod, got out of the car then made his way over to the rig. It was here he spotted the remains of two vehicles one of which was Seth's. As he bent down to pick up a license plate piece something else caught his attention.

He took a few steps back, turned the flash on his phone on for a flashlight then brought his attention to the ground. What he thought was torn up dirt from the explosion actually appeared to be a footprint. But the edges were sharp almost as though a machine had made them.

Tanner quickly brought his fingers to his mouth and let out a loud whistle. It was when he turned to look for Jenni that he spotted movement in the wreckage of the on-sight trailer. He slowly began to make his way forward really hoping it was Jenni but in the dying light he couldn't make out a human shape.

A light tremor in the ground made Tanner stop dead, his left foot still in the air. What was that and why did it seem to be getting closer?

To his left he spotted Jenni running towards him, a pistol in her right hand. She kept pointing behind Tanner and though he didn't want to look he eventually did.

Standing behind him, about two hundred yards away was a massive robot with wings on his back. And the more Tanner stared at it the more he could make out what appeared to be F-22 pieces all over it's body.

Jenni made it to his side, her pistol shaking in her hands. "Tanner, when I nudge you, head back to the car."

Tanner nodded but just as he was getting ready to run a missile flew over his head. Before he had time to react Jenni pulled Tanner to the ground and rolled him into the giant footprint just in time for her car to explode. Fire and debris fell from the sky as the ground shook from the concussion.

Jenni moved so Tanner could see her face in the light caused by the explosion. "Listen to me, whatever happens here I'm sorry. I didn't know…." She cringed as another explosion rocked the ground below them. After a quick peek over the crater a smile had formed on her face. "Looks like Seth's friends are here."

**XXXX**

Though it was only Starscream against three Autobots, the former had much more firepower and was quickly gaining the upper-hand. Bumblebee rested his back against the wreckage, took out his rifle then popped up to began firing. Unfortunately for him Starscream was already aimed at his direction and managed to fire a slug that took off one of Bumblebee's horns.

"'Bee, you okay?" Shouted Prowl as he skidded around a corner, his face showing his concern. "Do we need Ratchet?"

"No, I'll be fine." He quickly scanned the ground until he found the singed horn tip by his left foot "Lets just hope the medic can solder it back on."

Another explosion made both Autobots duck as fire washed over their metallic bodies. When the heat died down Bumblebee brought his attention to where he last saw the humans. Both were still huddled inside Megatron's footprint and if they didn't get to safety soon both will perish.

"Fellas, I'll be needing some cover!" Ironhide shouted over the comms. "I'm coming in!"

Both Autobots spun out from the wall; Bumblebee firing his rifle while Prowl sent a volley of missiles from his shoulder cannons. Though their hits barely made a dent in Starscream's armor it was just enough of a distraction so that Ironhide can snag the humans.

"Slag, you guys won't believe this! That human I almost ran over, he's one of them!" Ironhide's alt-mode could be seen bouncing across the rough terrain, away from Starscream and the destroyed oil rig. "Hurry! More Decepticreeps coming our way!"

Bumblebee transformed into a yellow and black, Fiat 500 hoping to get pass Starscream. Just when Bumblebee thought he was clear he was hit with a large slug that made him skid out of control. Instinctually his body morphed back into it's more natural state, but there was something wrong with his right foot. Instead of a smooth transition Bumblebee began to tumble on the loose ground.

"'Bee! Hang on buddy!"

"No Ironhide, I got him! Just get the human's to safety!" Prowl shifted into a patrol Challenger with a Sheriff's motif and sped to Bumblebee's aid. "Hop on and hang tight!"

XXXX

Inside the old Bronco Jenni sat in the driver's seat not really caring that the vehicle was driving itself. More than likely it was another robot like the others she had seen, the thought making her cringe. If these creatures were able to disguise themselves so well how many more were on Earth?

A tap on Jenni's arm brought her attention to Tanner who signed, "What about Seth? Do you think they will be after him?"

Jenni quickly nodded as she took her cell phone out of her coat pocket. "I'll call and see if everything is okay."

Suddenly the Bronco lunged down a steep incline causing Jenni to sharply inhale as her stomach flew into her throat. Once it was back on level ground she dialed her father's cell number really hoping things were okay back at Seth's.

"Jenni, what's going on?"

"Dad! Can't talk, just listen. Look outside and tell me if there is any strange vehicles parked near the house."

She could hear her father walking, his heavy work boots thudding on the hardwood floor of the living room. "Odd…there's a silver Charger outside."

Jenni's heart seemed to have stopped as she brought her attention to the Bronco's dashboard. "Please tell me one of your friend's is a Dodge Charger?"

"No, unfortunately not." Came the Bronco's reply. "If you can give me coordinates I can send somebody to help."

After giving the Bronco Seth's address she put the phone back to her ear. "Dad, don't leave the house. That Charger is bad news…."

"Should I be calling the cops?"

"No, they can't help you. Another car will show up…."

"A green, Jeep Mercenary." The Bronco said. "His name is Hound."

Jenni's eyebrows shifted upwards at hearing this bit of news. "What's your name?"

"Ironhide and the two behind me are Prowl and Bumblebee." Ironhide seemed to sigh as he slowed his speed down. "Why doesn't your friend speak?"

Jenni finished her conversation with her dad before answering Ironhide's question. "He's deaf, born without eardrums. That's why he moves his hands, it's his way of speaking. It's called American Sign Language."

"Would explain why I almost hit him a few weeks back." Ironhide veered onto a dirt road that led to an old mining camp, traveled some distance then stopped just before a pile of rocks. "We're here. Stay close and don't touch anything."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

A green jeep screeched to a halt in front of the human dwelling and when a driver didn't jump out Soundwave knew he had been made. He quickly pulled away from the curb, knowing a fight in such a populated area would bring even more unwanted attention.

"Hey, where we going? I thought you said we were going to get us a human?"

"Not now, Frenzy. It appears the Autobots knew that we were here."

Rumble, a small red and black robot swiftly jumped into the passenger seat, feet up on the dashboard as he lounged the seat back.

"I bet that Starscream couldn't do his job again." Rumble took out a few energon chips and popped one into his mouth. "So what now?"

"We head back to base." Before Soundwave reached the main road he opened the sunroof on his vehicle so Laserbeak could fly free. "Follow them."

**XXXX**

The interior of the Jeep was rather average but Seth knew better than to believe what was before him. He tried to make himself comfortable in the passenger seat while his father sat in the driver's. Currently the adrenaline masked his pain but he knew it'll eventually come back with a vengeance. And when it does, he will be in world of trouble.

"How you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

Seth shook his head. "No dad, I'm fine for now." He brought his attention to a large video monitor built into the dashboard, a feature he knew wasn't common in most vehicles. "What is your name?"

"Name is Hound." As the vehicle spoke, lines danced across the screen. "I'm not sure why Megatron has someone watching you…."

"Because I'm the only survivor out of all the explosions and I know about you guys. Whatever you are."

"We are a race of sentient robots from a planet called, Cybertron."

Seth's dad quickly shook his head as his hands flew into the air. "Woah, wait…you're an alien that can transform?"

"Yes, Mr. Harrison or do you prefer Brad?"

"How the hell do you know my name?"

Hound seemed to chuckle as he pulled onto the main highway. "Recon." An alarm began to ring as the lines on the screen turned to radar. "We have company. Sideswipe, how far out are you?"

"Ten clicks. Need back-up?"

"Yes, it appears a little bird is trying to follow me back to base."

Seth's heart began to race as he frantically looked out the windshield. "Where, I'm not seeing anything? Is he going to kill us?"

"No, but his friends will."

Hound swerved onto the shoulder to avoid a slow moving vehicle and as he bounced back onto the road Seth held onto the suicide bar. Several minutes went by with no other vehicles on the road making Seth relax just a bit. Whoever was after them must have left or is keeping a good distance away.

"I'm coming in hot!" Shouted the unfamiliar voice through the Jeep's speakers. "While I have Laserbeak distracted you take the humans to Optimus!"

A pair of bright lights came in behind Hound making Seth wince as they bounced off the side mirror. The vehicle slipped onto the shoulder and as it passed Seth he could see it was a newer model Corvette. But instead of keeping pace with Hound it sped up front, barely clipping the former's bumper.

Just before impact the vehicle transformed into a robot, managed to flip over Hound and land behind him. Seth spun in his seat to see the robot was now firing upwards, it's weapon lighting up the night sky with an eerie blue hue.

"Stupid young punks will get themselves killed someday." Said Hound as he slowed his speed down. "We should be good from here on out."

"What the hell!" Seth screamed, ignoring Hound. "Why did he do that!" Seth looked at his father to see a huge smile plastered on his face. "Why are you so happy!"

His father shook his head as he visibly relaxed into the seat. "It's about time this town got some action."

**Autobot Base**

The alarm blaring through the small shuttle told Ratchet the team had finally arrived back at base. He was about to ignore the noise, to continue his work on the injection when Jazz barged into the repair bay.

"Bumblebee's hurt! Prowl is bringing him in now!"

Ratchet quickly got up from his work station and went to the large table that took up most of the room in the bay. As he was turning on the machines Prowl came in carrying the much smaller, Bumblebee.

"Get him on the table!" When Prowl did Ratchet began a full body scan of Bumblebee. "What happened?"

Bumblebee hissed as Ratchet touched the piece of metal protruding from the top of his foot. "Starscream. Is it bad?"

Ratchet shook his head. "Nope, in fact," Before Bumblebee could protest he pulled the shrapnel out so he could examine the injury site. "It was jamming up one of your transformation cogs. Your systems should repair the damage in a few short hours. As for your helmet, let me get my soldering gun."

Prowl's optics fell upon the quarantine pod with a rare look of confusion. "Whose in stasis?" Realization slowly dawned as he turned his attention to Ratchet. "Optimus…?"

"Is in stasis until I can figure out a way to stop the growth of Scraplet larvae inside his fuel lines." Ratchet looked up at the scientist standing on the other side of the table. "Perceptor, hold that in place for me."

"Wait, Scraplet larvae, inside Optimus? Why hasn't my team been told about this?"

"Because there is no need to worry, as long as the larvae remains in Optimus' body there is no fear of contamination." Ratchet began to solder the horn tip back onto Bumblebee's helmet noticing a slight problem. "This horn is going to be stubbier than the other but at least it's back on."

Prowl put both hands into the air, his annoyance obvious on his face. "So, what your telling me is that Jazz is in command?"

"Hey, I can lead this team and you know it, Prowl!" Snapped Jazz.

"Are you sure? Because I can give you many reasons as to why you are not fit to take over for Prime. Like that time you raided…."

Jazz pointed an angry finger at Prowl. "I got us out safely!"

Prowl crossed his arms as a scowl spread across his face. "Did you, really get us out safely?"

Ratchet held his own hand up to silent the two from arguing any further. "I managed to come up with a formula that should…." His voice trailed off upon seeing the two humans enter the repair bay. "Uh…hello."

Bumblebee slowly sat up, a hand going to the replaced horn. "That is Jenni and her friend, Tanner. According to Ironhide, Tanner is deaf and can't speak."

"We are right here, thank you." The female approached Ratchet, her head barely going to his knee. "So, you guys are alive and can transform?"

Jazz knelt down to get a better look at the human. "Yes, we are mechanical beings from a planet called Cybertron. Did Ironhide not tell you?"

"No, he wasn't very talkative."

"Sounds like Ironhide." Jazz got back to his full height and brought his attention to Ratchet. "We need to wake up Optimus."

**One Hour Later**

After Optimus was gently put onto the repair table Jazz took a step back so Ratchet could do his thing. He still had a hard time believing that Scraplets were alive and thriving inside the commander's body, using it as an unlimited food source. Made him wonder how many bots died from Scraplets than in battle.

Ratchet gave Jazz a nod as he moved over to a computer monitor. "You know what to do. Ironhide, hold down his left arm."

Jazz made his way to Optimus' right side so he could put hands on the commander's right arm. Ever since the Scraplet attack any time Optimus went into stasis there was a risk of him waking up in a full blown battle panic. Because of this bots had to hold him down so he didn't rip off the mouth guard or shoot any friendlies.

Ratchet entered a sequence into this data pad then went to Optimus' head. "Taking him out of stasis now."

Optimus' optics slowly flickered on then steadily got brighter until he was fully awake. Jazz relaxed his hold on the commander's arm thinking everything was all right but then Optimus' optics got wide in horror.

"Beaker!" Optimus began to fight Jazz and Ironhide as his optics frantically darted around the room. "NO! Get them off!" He let out a loud grunt as Ironhide slammed him back onto the table. "They're eating…dear Primus…NO!"

"Optimus, you're in the repair bay." Ratchet shifted over until Optimus' optics were solely on him. "Good, focus on me and calm your systems down."

"Ratchet…." Optimus' body began to relax as his optics dimmed to their natural state. "Did I…."

Ratchet shook his head. "No, not this time."

Jazz quickly released his hold on Optimus' arm so the commander could sit up.

Optimus put a hand to his head as he attempted to stand. "The Scraplets, are they still inside me?"

"I'm afraid so, but I have come up with an injection that should, in theory stop their growth and make them noninfectious. Just going to take me some time to develop it."

"Then why am I out of stasis? What has happened?"

"We have a situation, the Decepticons have been keeping an eye on the humans. They are currently here, at base for protection." Jazz handed Optimus a data pad with the current status report then shook his head. "The Decepticons have been quiet until this point. What do you think they want from the humans?"

Optimus shook his head. "Not sure." He handed the pad back to Jazz before bringing his attention to Ratchet. "I will help out, but I'm not leaving the repair bay, too much of a risk. Bring them in."

**XXXX**

The room Jenni found herself in was bigger than the whole floor in her apartment complex and was littered with strange looking contraptions. Currently she was pacing before the door wondering what was going to happen to them. It has been almost an hour since the last contact was made and she began to worry.

"If they wanted us dead, surely they would have killed us by now." Her father went up to Jenni and gave her a hug. "Things will be okay." Both took a step back as the door opened to reveal the robot named, Jazz. "What do you want with us? Why aren't you letting us go?" He asked, putting Jenni behind him.

"Because it isn't safe to do so." Jazz moved his large body aside and motioned with a hand for them to follow him. "Optimus would like to see you four."

Jenni stared at the silver and black robot before her seeing pieces of some Nissan car all over his body. Wonder why they transformed into vehicles? What purpose did it serve back on their own planet? The thoughts raced through Jenni's mind as she followed Jazz down a short hallway towards a medical bay.

As Jenni walked into the room she stopped in mid-stride upon seeing the red and black robot before her. Though he was about the same size as Ratchet his demeanor was of someone having spent years in command. Even his appearance was one of intimidation; dented and scratched armor with a slotted shield covering half his face. Whoever this bot was, he was definitely one not to mess with.

The robot knelt before the humans, his metallic body letting off several creaks as it moved. "I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots." The corner of his eyes shifted upward as though he was smiling behind the face shield. "You are safe here."

"Why us?" Tanner signed angrily as Seth translated for him. "We've done nothing to them!"

"You four are the only humans on this planet that know of our species. I fear that Megatron is trying to get rid of any loose ends." He rested an arm on a bent knee as his attention went to Tanner. "If my research is correct, he is speaking American Sign Language. Right?"

Jenni nodded. "Correct and I guess all of you will need to learn ASL since it appears we won't be leaving this place any time soon."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Decepticon Base**

When Soundwave came back defeated Megatron knew he would have to start changing up tactics. Though the Autobots were smaller, less powerful he kept forgetting about their sheer will to survive. It was this that has helped the Autobots through the war so far but their numbers continue to dwindle.

According to the database given to him by Shockwave there was only pockets of resistant fighters left on planet while the other Autobots, twenty in total went with Optimus. It will require patience but Megatron will rip the Matrix from the dying Prime's spark cavity to become the leader he was meant to be.

After stewing for a few minutes his optics snapped wide at a sudden realization. Optimus never once showed up to help his team, something the leader rarely didn't do. So what had him sidelined? The last time they had met there was a scuffle but neither bot took damage. It had to be something else then, something severe enough to have him base bound.

"Soundwave, where is your location?"

"I am near the human hospital ready for your command."

Megatron let out a deep, frustrated breath then shook his head. "No, something is wrong with Optimus." He got up from his chair to start pacing before the vid-screen. "It is not like him to remain at base. I need your scout, Laserbeak on a hunt for the Autobot shuttle. With that many fleshlings around one of them is bound to make a grave mistake."

**Autobot Shuttle**

Being limited to the repair bay aggravated Optimus to no end but he knew he posed a danger to any bot he went to battle with or against. Optimus hoped Ratchet could get the formula processed in time for he sensed within the Matrix that time was running out.

Optimus gently put a hand against his chest to feel the slight hum that came from the Matrix. He will never forget that day, back in the Senate Great Hall when the sacred object chose him as a true Prime. The pain he had endured as it fused itself with his spark chamber was much worse than the Scraplet attack.

"Are you okay, Optimus?"

"I'm fine, Ratchet just the Matrix…." Optimus took a deep breath as he brought his attention to Jazz. "I want an Autobot with a human. Tanner with Bumblebee, Jenni with Hound, Brad with Ironhide and Seth with Sideswipe. Jazz, I want you and Prowl to began patrols."

Jazz nodded. "Sure thing, Prime. Will you be going back into stasis?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Ratchet believes it will help limit the growth of the Scraplets. Take care of the humans at all costs. Make sure nothing happens to them."

**Two Hours Later**

"You want me to do what now!" Jazz quickly held his hands up as Ironhide let out a loud huff and began pacing. "Prime's orders. Besides, the human's are fragile and need our help."

Ironhide stopped, shook his head then pointed a finger at Jazz. "I think this is a foolish idea. We need to be out there looking for the Decepticreeps, not babysitting a bunch of humans!"

"Orders are orders, Ironhide." Jazz stabbed a finger over his shoulder. "I spotted Brad in the command center with Seth and Jenni. You should go talk to him."

When Jazz left Ironhide stood in the hallway for several seconds before he made his way to the command center. Once inside he saw the human family unit huddled in a circle talking to each other.

Brad turned his attention to Ironhide, a gentle smile on his face. "Was wondering when you were going to show up." He gave both his children a pat on the shoulder before standing and making his way to Ironhide. "So, we're partners, huh?"

Ironhide knelt on one knee to get a better look at the human. "I wouldn't say that, more like I'm ya babysitter."

"Fair enough." Brad's face quickly turned serious as he glanced back at Jenni and Seth. "Listen, I need to head to my place, get some things."

"What kind of things do you need?"

"Sleeping bags, clothes, food and water. And I will need it here pretty soon."

Ironhide let out a loud huff causing the man's gray hair to flutter from the exhaust. "Why can't you wait until morning?"

Brad shook his head. "It's already midnight and we humans need sleep, especially Seth. If we are to be here awhile, we need a place to call our own. We need a fire, sleeping quarters and an area to put our things."

"Fine, while we are away I will have Bumblebee find you a corner."

**XXXX**

As she watched her father leave with Ironhide, Jenni took out her phone to see the battery was near depletion. Soon, she will have to head back to DC and leave her family in the care of these robots but could she really trust them?

Seth hissed as he gently leaned against the wall, his bad arm cradled in his lap. "I'm definitely ready for some sleep."

"Dad's getting the camping gear from the ranch. Should be back in a few hours." Jenni dug through the backpack that Seth brought with him until she found the pain medication and a bottle of water. "Thank God dad thinks of everything."

"He's a Marine, of course he plans ahead." Seth took the pills from Jenni, a smile on his face. "You're due back any day now…." The shrill ring of a cell phone quickly interrupted him. "That thing still has power?"

Jenni took out her cell phone and quickly answered it. "Yes, this is Jenni Harrison."

"Ms. Harrison, I'm afraid you are needed in Washington ASAP. We are at Code Orange and need all agents on stand-by."

"Understand. I'll leave right away." Jenni pushed end then brought her attention to Seth. "It appears the US military is stepping things up. Whatever is happening with these robots and their enemies, it's not going unnoticed."

Seth nodded. "Just stay safe and call when you get to DC."

"Will do." She gave Seth a kiss on the forehead then got to her feet. "Lets just hope that Hound can take me. My car is currently in pieces back at the rig."

**The Next Morning**

"Jazz, wake up!"

Jazz quickly bolted off of his recharge slab expecting a battle only to find Bumblebee standing before him. He let out a low grown before slumping back down onto the metallic platform.

"Better be good, Bee."

Bumblebee nodded. "The Decepticons hit an oil pipeline, this time in Idaho."

"And why isn't Prowl checking it out?"

"Can't find him."

Jazz took a deep breath then slowly got back up. "Fine, but that bot will owe me."

**XXXX**

When Seth woke up he had no idea where he was but then things began to come back. He slowly shifted inside his sleeping bag expecting his father beside him and not wanting to wake him up. As Seth pulled himself out of the warm cocoon he saw his father's side sat empty.

"Dad?" He tried to shift his weight only to get a stab of pain in his ribcage. "Man, that is getting old." A shadow moved outside the tent, heading towards the makeshift campfire. "Way too early to be up."

"Then get your butt out here and have some coffee!" Shouted his father.

Seth let out a few choice words as he slipped on a hooded sweatshirt and his tennis shoes. Once outside the tent he saw his father sitting at the fire with Tanner and Bumblebee. Seeing a giant robot learning ASL made Seth's head reel at the strangeness of it all.

Bumblebee gave Seth a huge smile as the latter sat down beside him in a camping chair. "This ASL stuff is easy!"

"Maybe it's because you're a robot and have a computer for a brain." Seth accepted the mug from his father and blew the hot liquid before taking a sip. "I bet a lot of things come easy for you."

"Not really. I failed my weapons test three times before I eventually passed."

Seth shook his head. "Super, a robot who can't shoot straight."

"Drink your coffee and stop being so grumpy."

"Yes, dad." Seth took another sip of the bitter liquid grateful for it's warmth then took a look at the vast room. "Thanks, for finding us a place."

Bumblebee nodded. "No problem. Glad that I was able to find a spot out of the way where you guys can recharge."

"Where did Jazz go in such a hurry?" Asked Tanner.

"Another pipe line was hit, this time in Idaho." A big smile spread across Bumblebee's face as he tapped a small port on his leg. "Thanks to Perceptor we have fuel converters and can now use gasoline. Not the same as Energon but definitely much easier."

Tanner shook his head, his face showing concern. "No one went with him?"

"It's Jazz we're talking about. He can take care of himself."

**Several Hours Later**

The drone buzzed above the landscape, it's video showing operator Jacob Harris a view of the pipeline. His trained eyes saw no tire marks only large indentations perfectly spaced out and about three feet deep. Curious as to what could have made the markings, Harris zoomed in hoping to get a better view.

He was about to steer the drone towards the pipeline break when a silver Nissan came barreling down the rough terrain with ease. Most sport cars like that aren't equipped to go off road and he wasn't the only one to notice the oddity.

"Something isn't right about that car." Lieutenant Bowen leaned over Harris' shoulder to get a better look at the vehicle. "That's a 350z. What's it doing all the way out there? Can you get a better look?"

Harris gave his commander a nod but as he shifted the drone the car abruptly stopped. What he saw next made his jaw drop with shock. The Nissan morphed until it became a robot, roughly fourteen feet tall with a large rifle slung over one shoulder.

"Oh my God…." Bowen pulled back, ran a hand down his face then quickly reached for the phone. "Keep an eye on it Harris."

"Sir, it's moving!" Harris watched on screen as the robot walked towards the pipeline as though to check out the damage. "Could it be one of them?"

Bowen raised a hand to silence Harris so he could dial a number. "Yes sir, this is Lieutenant Bowen…Yes, sir it is a robot…It is armed…Very well." He brought his attention to Harris and gave him a quick nod. "Fire when ready."

**XXXX**

The soft buzzing Jazz had heard earlier increased until it was right above him. He tore his attention away from the pipeline then spun around to see a flying object hovering not too far away. Curious as to what it was Jazz slowly took a step forward only to get a warning from his inner-computer.

Jazz quickly raised his rifle so he could look through it's scope. What he saw was a light gray airplane with no windows but tons of firepower under each wing. He then witnessed a small puff of smoke followed by a small flame as the right missile launched away from the small craft.

"Oh slag…."

On instinct Jazz fired his weapon just as the missile slammed into his chest. The force of the impact blew him backwards, slamming him against the pipeline. As pain flooded his systems Jazz slumped to the ground barely able to move.

"Jazz to Teletron-3, do you hear me?" But all he got in response was a bunch of static. "Slag…no communications."

It took all Jazz had to get back on his feet, his world a fuzzy mess of colors and shapes. Ever so slowly he made his way towards a gully hoping to put some distance between himself and the pipeline.

He was about to head down a steep hill when a low rumble brought his attention to the sky. Because of a strange quirk in his design his original optics weren't fully functional and he had to rely on visors to make up for it. And thanks to the blast, his current one was cracked leaving him nearly blind.

"It's a lonely little Autobot!" Starscream's voice echoed down from above. "Soundwave, looks like we have ourselves a prisoner."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**A Few Days Later**

"So wait, that's a hologram?" Seth circled the very solid, human female in front him with bewilderment. "Why a woman?"

The human female in front of Seth shrugged her shoulders. "Perceptor said that the majority of human's that drive a Fiat are females." Bumblebee powered down his holomatter, a huge smile on his face. "But thanks to these we are able to siphon gas or do other things we couldn't do before because of our size."

Tanner shook his head then signed, "That is just creepy." His eyes shifted over to Seth's guardian, Sideswipe. "How about you?"

Sideswipe let out a few grumbles as an older male suddenly appeared before them. "Apparently my vehicle mode is a…human's call it, a late-life crisis car. Gotta blend in, right?"

Heavy footsteps brought Seth's attention to the black and white mech walking into the command center. Ever since he had met Prowl Seth didn't care for him, he seemed to be the only Autobot who looked down at the humans, treated them like pests.

"If you keep playing around with the holomatter, the generator will wear itself out." He let out a heavy sigh as he went to the computer console. "Anybody hear from Jazz lately?"

Bumblebee shrugged. "He usually goes off on his own, too familiarize himself with the local culture. A few days isn't too abnormal for him."

"Even after he left to check a pipeline explosion and didn't report back?"

"Well, when you put it that way…."

Prowl let out a heavy sigh as he jammed away at several keys, irritation growing on his face. "Something isn't right, Jazz usually reports back to us by now. I have tried his locator beacon but I got nothing. Going to try his holomatter device now, see if I can pick up it's signature."

"Prowl, hate to interrupt but I need you in the repair…."

"Not now, Ratchet!"

The young robot shook his head as he motioned a hand to the hallway. "I got the formula down, it seems to be working. I'm taking Optimus out of stasis and I need you there when I do."

**XXXX**

"Systems at 100% capacity. Initiating wake-up protocol."

The words flashed before Optimus' optics as his mind slowly came out of the fog it's been in for days. As his systems rebooted the first sensation he felt was panic, a deep circuit fear of the unknown. Optimus was about to lash out when he felt a gentle nudge deep within his spark cavity.

"That's it, Optimus. You're safe, nothing is going to harm you." Ratchet's voice helped Optimus calm down so he could focus on his surroundings. "Optics should be on-line any second now."

Sure enough Optimus' vision became clear and vivid allowing him to see that he was laying on his back in the repair bay. Beside him, on the right was Prowl an odd site to see since it was usually Jazz in that position.

"Where is Jazz?"

Prowl's optics wavered for a bit before locking onto Optimus'. "He went MIA, I have a team searching for him now."

Optimus shook his head as he attempted to stand. "How long as he been missing?"

"Two days, and he hasn't reported in." Prowl gently took hold of Optimus' arm to help him from the repair table. "Don't worry, I have Bumblebee and Sideswipe out looking for him right now."

"And the human's under their watch?"

"Are here, with Ironhide."

Optimus' attention then went to Ratchet who was busy cleaning up his gear. "The injection…is it functional?"

Ratchet stopped what he was doing to turn and face Optimus. "Yes, it will be a daily injection you will have to take via a port on your right arm. Though it won't kill the larvae it should stop their growth. And if you were to spill Energon, the larvae will die almost immediately because of the oxygen found here on Earth."

"Good work, Ratchet. I knew you had it in you." Optimus gave the young medic a pat on the shoulder as headed out of the repair bay. "Now, lets go find Jazz."

**Decepticon Shuttle**

The pain made it hard for Jazz to move, the torture he had endured for the last several hours taking a toll on his already damaged body. All he could do was lean against the wall of his small cell hoping stasis will come to relieve him of his misery. Lets just pray Starscream was through with his little games but Jazz feared he was only beginning.

Heavy footsteps approached the cell causing Jazz to tense up in fear. However, instead of Starscream Jazz saw Megatron approach, a scowl on his face.

"So, you refuse to talk? Pity, I really didn't want Scalpel to get involved." The bars disappeared so Megatron can make his way inside the cell, his large stature nearly filling the space. "Maybe once he is through with you, you will talk."

With one hand the Decepticon leader took hold of the shackles binding Jazz's wrists together and dragged him to the repair bay. With considerable ease Megatron threw Jazz onto an oil stained table, the motion making him grunt in pain. The shackles were undone allowing a human size Decepticon to secure Jazz's limbs and head to the table.

"Scalpel, do what you want with this Autobot scum."

Jazz took a quick look around the room until his optics fixed on a disfigured Autobot corpse hanging on the wall like a trophy.

"Huh, so that's where Tread went to?"

"Oh, you like my friend?" The small insectile robot said. "He lasted me almost a cycle before he gave up on himself. Ze things we were learning together were truly magnificent. You notice how ze laser burns are less pitted as you work your way up? Another session or two and he might have been totally immune to them. Oh well."

"What do you mean another session or two? You get worse at torturing the longer you go?" Jazz said pulling against the restraints.

"No, actually I was getting better, but so was he. Such a shame. Anyways, now we have you to learn all about. Starscream says that you are a sniper, yes?"

Jazz didn't like how the Decepticon was studying his visor but with his head secured he couldn't pull away. "Listen, I'm not going to say anything to you Decepticreeps, so save your resources and just end it now."

"Tsk tsk Autobot, I just want to have a chat with you. Is it so bad to discuss your natural gifts? Few can handle a Nucleon Charge Rifle with great precision. Have you always been a marksman or did you have to train?"

Jazz glared at the Decepticon without saying a word.

"Ok then, if you don't want to work with me, we will go about this the hard way." Scalpel clambered up onto Jazz to look him in the face. "It seems that your visor has been damaged, ze least I can do is take a look at it." With a couple of quick motions the visor was detached and hooked into a diagnostic computer. "It seems that zis isn't just an optic covering but a kind of magnifier, yes?"

Jazz rolled his optics towards Scalpel. "I guess so, you're the medic. You tell me."

Scalpel turned back towards Jazz. "It appears that way, but if you aren't sure we will have to study more." With a quick jump he was back on Jazz's chest. "Now, I recommend that you don't flinch because that could cause certain…complications."

Jazz didn't have time to realize what was happening before Scalpel had pulled out his left optic. "See, nice and smooth! And very little Energon leakage as well. You may do better than my old friend."

At that point Jazz let out a feral scream as his pain receptors caught up to what had happened. He bucked in the restraints trying to get free but to no success.

"QUIET, Autobot! How am I supposed to discover how you are such a marksman with all of that noise?" Scalpel hopped back to his work bench and proceeded to connect the removed optic to the computer. "Ah, ze visor magnifies an image and transmits more data to ze optic. That won't do. We can easily make zis work better. Though I should probably check the other optic, just to be sure."

**Autobot Shuttle**

When Optimus Prime stepped into the command room Tanner could feel the whole atmosphere of the room change. Though only a head taller than Ratchet, the Autobot leader seemed to be far taller, as though he was a giant. Must come with having millions of years of command, Tanner felt.

Tanner quickly went to Seth's side hoping his friend could translate what Optimus was saying. Because of the leader's face mask it was rather difficult to even judge emotions frustrating Tanner since he relied heavily on facial expressions to tell him the mood of the situation.

"What is going on?"

Seth shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing yet, just going over how they might find Jazz. I guess they're going to try using his holomatter generator."

But as the meeting continued Tanner soon found himself being left out since Seth couldn't keep up with the conversation. Frustrated Tanner made his way to the back of the room where Ratchet stood. The medic glanced down, narrowed his eyes then knelt before Tanner.

"What seems to be the problem?" Though rough Ratchet's ASL was legible.

"Can't keep up and Optimus' face plate is making it hard for me to judge his emotions." Tanner's hands showed his frustration and he hoped the Autobot could keep up. "Why does he wear it all the time?"

Ratchet's face showed sadness as his eyes shifted over to where Optimus stood.

"It's necessary." The medic shook his head as he continued to sign. "Optimus was badly damaged, lost most of his lower face."

Tanner's attention went to the Autobot commander to see him now pointing to a large map being displayed on the shuttle's forward window. His eyes could barely see the deep scars creeping from under the slotted face plate.

"What could do such damage?"

Ratchet seemed to sigh as his eyes fell to the floor. "He encountered what are known as, Scraplets which are kind of like Piranha but ten times more deadly. They feast on living metal. Optimus is very lucky, few survive their attack."

The news shook Tanner so much he had no idea what to say next. Instead he just brought his attention back to Optimus whose attention was now on Prowl. Then the commander's head swiveled to face Tanner, his glowing blue eyes showing deep concern.

"What's happening now?" Asked Tanner.

"He's worried about you being able to defend yourself in battle."

"I'm deaf not dumb!" Tanner's hands showed his anger. "Give me a chance!"

"I'll see what I can do."

**XXXX**

After the team debrief Optimus sat down in his command chair with a heavy sigh. What was suppose to be a simple recon mission has now turned into something much deeper. Optimus never meant to bring Cybertron's war to an innocent planet, one so young that their presence here could alter it's future.

He ran a hand down his face before bringing up the holographic keyboard. He had much to catch up on but first he had to figure out where his Lieutenant disappeared to. But the more he searched the more frustrated he became until eventually he abruptly stopped. He then got up to pace, his mind racing so fast it was hard for him to concentrate.

Eventually he decided to head back to the repair bay to have a chat with Perceptor. Apparently while he was in stasis the scientist came up with a unique way to get Energon through Earth's resources. And he also invented something called Holomatter, which will help the Autobots blend in better with the humans.

"Oh Optimus, so glad to see you." Perceptor greeted Optimus outside the repair bay, a huge smile on his face. "I need to install your holomatter device."

Optimus gave Perceptor a nod as he made his way to the repair table. "How long will this take? I need to be out there, searching for Jazz."

"Shouldn't take too long."

Sure to his word the procedure only took Perceptor twenty minutes and soon Optimus had a middle-aged human holomatter. It was a bit unusual to have another form to use, especially since he could split his consciousness to use the holomatter.

"Now it will take some getting use to but once you do, you'll be able to pick things up and hold a conversation just by using your holomatter." Perceptor gave Optimus a huge smile as he put away his tools. "You have also been equipped with a new fuel converter."

Optimus smiled behind his face plate and patted his friend on the shoulder. "You have been busy, Perceptor."

"Well, I'm not done yet. Prowl wants to know if I can use the holomatter device in Jazz to track him down. It will be tricky, but I believe I can pull it off."

"Good, let me know when you do." Optimus slowly got back on his feet, his joints stiff from the Scraplet larvae trying to make their way through his system. "Lets just hope we can find him before it's too late."

**XXXX**

The screams from the Autobot captive rang throughout the tiny ship and though Megatron once enjoyed the sound it was beginning to irritate him. Why doesn't Scalpel silence him? Surely there has to be a way to paralyze the Autobot's vocal chords so he wouldn't utter a sound. That or just rip them out.

"Scalpel!" Megatron stormed into the small repair bay to see Scalpel working on the Autobot's head. "I've had enough of his screaming! Shut him up at once!"

"Yes, my Lord." Scalpel picked up a small device then clamped it onto the Autobot's throat. "There, ze Autobot can scream all he wants but no sound will come out."

"Good. Keep me posted." Megatron spun around to head back to his command center where Soundwave stood waiting. "Have you found the Autobots or their human allies yet?"

Soundwave shook his head. "No, but I do have Rumble watching a human doctor by the name of John Sanchez. The human has begun his own search for Ratchet."

Megatron scowled at this bit of news. "How close is he to finding out?"

"Not even, but he could be a problem, especially if the Autobot human allies need medical attention."

"You have a good point, Soundwave." Megatron began to pace as his mind went back to their current energy crisis. "How are our Energon reserves?"

Soundwave handed Megatron a data pad with a wag of his head. "Another day, maybe two. Starscream is getting more as we speak."

**XXXX**

Without the ability to see Jazz had no idea what Scalpel had in store for him next. Currently the Decepticon scientist was digging around in his head, a level of pain that made Jazz whimper nonstop. Why wasn't his systems going into stasis? Why was he forced to endure Scalpel's torture? What made it worse was the device put around his throat. Though Jazz could hear his own voice, it seemed Scalpel could not.

"Please…I can't take anymore."

"What was that?" The doctor cackled as he continued his work this time moving to Jazz's optic casings. "Oh yes, you are now discovering ze device's unique capabilities. Something I invented, to help torture go faster!"

Jazz's scream echoed inside his mind as Scalpel continued work inside his head. "What are you doing to me?"

"Still don't get it, do you? Dumb Autobot! I can't hear you and won't be able to unless I permit you to do so." Scalpel paused in his tinkering long enough to give Jazz a brief reprieve from the torture. "But I believe you are wondering what I am doing. Well, I am making you better optics by directly patching your visor into your visual mainframe!"

"Then how will you possibly get information from me if I'm silent?" Jazz asked knowing full well Scalpel couldn't hear. "That doesn't seem so smart to me."

"Even after explaining you still talk, that will not do!" Jazz could feel Scalpel mess with the harness for a bit. "There, trying to speak without my code will send a shock through your systems. Now, be quiet and let me continue with my work."


End file.
